PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham pledges to give UK 'circuit breaker' for 'good growth'

Business To Business, London, 29^th June, 2026:   Andy Burnham, who is poised to succeed Keir Starmer as leader of the governing Labour Party, on Monday outlined his vision for a more devolved United Kingdom, pledging to deliver the "circuit breaker" needed to achieve "good growth" across every region of the country.
Delivering his first major policy speech since returning to Westminster after winning the Makerfield parliamentary by-election, Burnham proposed a governing model he described as "Manchesterism", centred on transferring greater powers from central government to England's regions.
The 56-year-old former Mayor of Greater Manchester said his devolution agenda would reduce the concentration of decision-making in London by shifting authority away from 10 Downing Street.
As part of the proposal, Burnham called for the creation of a new "No. 10 North" in northern England to symbolise a more balanced distribution of political and economic power across the country.
Burnham's speech comes after a successful leadership challenge within the Labour Party that prompted Starmer to announce his resignation last week, positioning Burnham as the frontrunner to become the party's next leader and the UK's next prime minister.
He said empowering regional governments would help drive sustainable economic growth, improve public services and ensure that prosperity is shared more evenly across the United Kingdom.